It was now

"prov'd a new Difficulty to me. "harder to me to read, than it was before to underftand when read. But

Improbus,

Labor Omnia Vincit

" and fo did I; which made my reading the more "acceptable to my Mafter. He, on the other "hand, perceiving with what earnest Defire I pur"fued Learning, gave me not only all the En"couragement, but all the Help he could; for,

having a curious Ear, he understood by my "Tone, when I understood what I read, and when "I did not; and accordingly would stop me, exa"mine me, and open the most difficult Paffages " to me."

It was not long after Milton's third Marriage, that he remov'd to an Houfe in the Artillery-Walk leading to Bunhill-Fields, which was his laft Stage in this World; but it was of many Years Continuance, more perhaps than he had had in any other Place befides. When the Plague began to increase in London, in 1665, Mr. Ellwood took a fmall House for Milton and his Family at St. Giles Chalfont, in Buckinghamshire; and after the Sicknefs was over, and the City well cleansed, and became fafely habitable again, Milton returned to London.

It was probably during his Refidence here, that he compofed a Sonnet on Occafion of the Plague, which was lately difcover'd on a Glafs Window at Chalfont, and communicated to Mr. Birch by Mr. Richardfon, who received it from Mr. Pope. This Sonnet evidently fhews the Hand of its Author, and is as follows:

"Fair

"Fair Mirrour of foul Times! whofe fragile "Sheen

"Shall as it blazeth, break; while Providence "(Aye watching o'er bis Saints with Eye unfeen) "Spreads the red Rod of angry Peftilence,

"To fweep the Wicked and their Counfels bence à

"Yea, all-to-break the Pride of lufiful Kings, "Who Heaven's Lore reject for brutish Senfes, "As erft he scourg'd Jeffides' Sin of Fore "For the fair Hittite,when on Seraph's Wings "He fent bim War, or Plague, or Famine fore.

His Paradife Loft was now finished, for when Mr. Ellwood vifited him at St. Giles Chalfont, Milton lent him the MSS. of it, that he might read it over, and give him his Judgment of it. When Mr. Ellwood returned it, Milton afked him how he liked it, and what he thought of it; "which I modeftly, "but freely told him (fays Mr. Ellwood;) and af "ter fome further Difcourfe about it, I pleasantly "faid to him, Thou haft faid much of Paradife Loft, "but what hast thou to fay of Paradife Found? "He made me no Anfwer, but fat fome Time in a "Mufe; then broke off that Discourse, and fell "upon another Subject." When Mr. Ellwood af, terwards waited upon him in London, Milton fhewed him his Paradife Regain'd, and in a pleasant Tone faid to him, This is owing to you; for you put it in my Head by the Question you put to me at Chalfont; which before I bad not thought of. Mr. Philips, Milton's Nephew, informs us, that the Subject of Paradife Loft was firft defign'd for a Tragedy; "and in the fourth Book of the Poem (fays he) "there are ten Verses, which, feveral Years before "the Poem was begun, were fhewn to me, and fome "others, as defign'd for the very beginning of the

"faid Tragedy." The Verfes are the thirty-fecond and nine following Lines of that Book.

There are feveral Plans, Mr. Birch tells us, of Paradife Loft in the Form of a Tragedy in Mr. Milton's own Hand-writing in a MS. in Trinity College Library, which contains likewife a great Variety of other Subjects for Tragedies: Of this MS. Mr. Birch has given us an exact Copy.

The aforemention'd Mr. Philips has recorded another very remarkable Circumftance concerning Paradife Loft, which he had a particular Reason, he fays, to remember; and this is, that in all the Year's Milton was about it, he wrote no Part of it but between the autumnal and vernal Equinoxes; and this because bis Vein never happily flowed but during that Seafon, whatever be attempted at other Times being never to bis Satisfaction, though he courted his Fancy never fo much. Mr. Philips reports this Mat ter in fuch a Way, as would make one think he could not be mistaken with refpect to the Thing in gene ral, that is, the Intermiffion of Milton's Vein but there is great Reafon to believe he err'd as to the Period of it, Milton himfelf, in a Latin Elegy, written in his twentieth Year, upon the Approach of the Spring, declaring that his poetick Talent returned therewith.

A Friend of Milton's likewife inform'd Mr. Toland, that he could never compofe well but in the Spring and Autumn. But Mr. Richardfon is of Opinion, that neither Mr. Philips's nor Mr. Toland's Informer are abfolutely in the right; nor can he imagine," that a Man, with fuch a Work in his

Head, can fufpend it for fix Months together, or "but one, though it may go on more flowly; but "it muft go on." The fame Gentleman tells us, that when Milton dictated, he used to fit leaning backward obliquely in an eafy Chair, with his Leg flung over the Elbow of it, that he frequently com

pofed

pofed lying in Bed in a Morning; and that when be could not fleep, but lay awake whole Nights, he tried; not one Verfe could be make: at other times flowed eafy his unpremeditated Verfe, with a certain Impetus and Eftrum, as himself feemed to believe then, at what Hour foever, he rung for his Daughter to fecure what came. I bave been alfo told, he would dictate many, perhaps forty Lines in a Breath, and then reduce them to half the Number.

Mr. Birch has given us an ample and circumstantial History of this admirable Work: A Performance that has fixed an Honour upon the English Tongue and Nation; that has parallel'd, nay, in fome Refpects, exceeded the most celebrated Productions of the Greek and Roman Poets; the Writer's Genius not inferior to theirs, his Subject vaftlyfuperior, and his Language raised almoft to an Equality with that they used. Several Par ticulars relating to the Publication of it, are to be found in The Prefent State of the Republick of Letters aforemention'd, p. 44, 45, &c. But there are others that Mr. Birch has infifted on, not there taken notice of, which may afford the curious Reader fome Entertainment. Thus,

Among the Editions of it which he mentions, is Dr. Richard Bentley's, in Quarto, printed at London, in 1732. In the Preface to which that Critic has given a very tragical Account of the barbarous Treatment this Poem underwent, through the Blind nefs of its Author, before its Introduction into the World. He tells us," The Friend or Acquaint ❝ance, whoever he was, to whom Milton com"mitted his Copy, did fo vilely execute that "Truft, and the overfeeing of the Prefs, that "Paradife, under his Ignorance and Audaciouf

nefs, may be faid to be twice loft. A poor “Bookfeller, then living near Alderfgate, purchafed "the Copy for ten Pounds, and (if a fecond Edi

❝tion

tion followed) for five Pounds more, as appears by the original Bond yet in being. This Bookfeller, and that Acquaintance, who seems to have been the fole Corrector of the Prefs, brought "forth their first Edition, polluted with fuch monftrous Faults, as are beyond all Example in any other printed Book.-But these typographical "Errors, occafion'd by the Negligence of his Acquaintance (if all may be imputed to that, and "not feveral wilfully made) were not the worst "Blemishes brought upon our Poem. For this fuppofed Friend knowing Milton's bad Circum"ftances; who, vii. 26.

66

"Was fall'n on evil Days and evil Tongues, "In Darkness, and with Dangers compafs'd ❝round,

"And Solitude,

thought he had a fit Opportunity to foilt into his Book feveral of his own Verfes, without the "blind Poet's Discovery." He afterwards obferves that the Proof-Sheets of the first Edition were never read to Milton; who, unless he was as deaf as blind, could not possibly let pass fuch grofs and palpable Faults. Nay, the Edition, when published, was never read to him in feveral Years. The first came out in 1667, and a fecond in 1674, in which all the Faults of the former are continued, with the Addition of new ones. This Edition of Dr. Bentley, Mr. Birch tells us, was attack'd by feveral Writers, particularly by Dr. Zachary Pearse, who obferves, that in the Emendations which Dr. Bentley offers as from bimfelf, he never ventures further than to propofe Words of like Sound, which a blind Poet's Ear may be prefumed to have been fometimes mistaken in, when the Proof-Sheets were read to him; and but few of this fort are mention'd: The greatest Part arifes